What is the main function of the Yi torch festival?

The Torch Festival is an ancient and important traditional festival of the Yi, Bai, Naxi, Jinuo, Lahu and other ethnic groups, which has profound folk cultural connotations and is famous both at home and abroad, and has been called the "Carnival of the East". Different ethnic groups hold the Torch Festival at different times, mostly on the 24th day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, and the main activities include bullfighting, sheep fighting, cockfighting, horse racing, wrestling, song and dance performances, beauty contests, etc. In the new era, the Torch Festival has been recognized as the most important traditional festival in the world. In the new era, the torch festival has been endowed with new folkloric functions and produced new forms.

Beauty pageant; the Yi people have loved and pursued beauty for generations, and "beauty pageant" has been the most important and characteristic activity in the traditional torch festival of the Yi people since ancient times. It is different from the commercial and artistic "beauty contest" in the world today. The traditional Yi folk "beauty contest" which has lasted for thousands of years has very strict requirements. Beautiful Yi girls dressed up, holding yellow umbrellas, dance slowly around the fire on the lawn to perform "Doleho", and the judges are all respected elders in the villages. The judges are all respected elders in the villages. They are both critical and natural in their selection, looking at the girls' figure and appearance, as well as their dress; also looking at their usual filial piety towards their parents and elders; and, more importantly, judging them according to their usual moral character and reputation for hard work. In order to give the Yi torch festival "beauty contest" culture new connotation and contemporary flavor, make this activity both traditional and contemporary, 2004 China Liangshan Yi International Torch Festival "beauty contest" activities, in order to mobilize the audience to participate in the special establishment of the most beautiful audience awards, so that the eight guests can also be in the field to show their own style. At the same time, not only expert judges selected beauty, beauty, the audience also had the opportunity to vote, so that the flowers become the audience's spokesman, selected their favorite beauty and beauty.

Force of the competition; on the lawn, the Yi folk traditional sports activities: bullfighting ---- a loud horn horn sounded, two bulls angry eyes, Xiang Xiang came, a low roar, two pairs of deliberately sharpened horns violently collided. All around the audience shouting and cheering, cattle get stimulation and encouragement, tenacity, and sometimes the border attack, and sometimes the force of the enemy face to face, and sometimes the blood splatter, and sometimes waiting for the opportunity to counterattack. The victorious cattle head and neck in red flowers, held by the master around the field for a week, which doubled the price, not the scenery. Sheep fighting ---- has a sense of humor and comedy. Two rams like no one else high head hobbling, when found the enemy darted forward, "bang" then separated, nothing in general. So then a few times, fight to the end, the two sheep in the daze of the situation by and by, shaking hands, no winners and losers, it is really something interesting. There are horse racing, cockfighting, etc. are all male force competition, is the inner vitality of the nation's burgeoning, is the aggressive fire and wine collision, is the top of the stubborn and clever sculpture.

" Torch Festival " celebrated *** three days:

Torch Festival, the first day: fire sacrifice. On this day, villages and hamlets slaughter cows and kill sheep, share them collectively, and prepare wine and meat to offer to their ancestors. When night falls, people from neighboring villages will set up altars at locations chosen by the elders, light the sacred fire by striking stones in the traditional way, and have the Bimo (Yi folk priests) recite scriptures to offer the fire. Then, every family, adults and children will take the torch made of artemesia grass from the hands of Bimo, and roam around the corners of the fields, following the legend of Ash ugly woman who drove away insects with fire.

The second day of the Torch Festival: passing the fire. On this day, every family gathers under the sacred fire at the altar to hold all kinds of traditional festival activities. The boys are expected to follow the example of the legendary Ati Raba, horse racing, wrestling, singing, bullfighting, goatfighting and cockfighting. The girls follow the example of the legendary ugly woman, dressed in beautiful clothes, holding up butter umbrellas, dancing "Doloho", Dasi dance. On this day, the most important activity is the beauty contest of the Yi family. Elderly people have to follow the legend of the Ati Raba hard-working and brave, heroic and divine and Ash ugly woman kind and intelligent, beautiful and generous standards from the boys and girls selected once a year in the beauty of men and women. When night falls, a pair of loving men and women, in the mountains, on the banks of the stream, under the yellow umbrellas, plucking the moon lyre, playing the mouth string, telling each other how much they miss each other. Therefore, some people call the Liangshan Yi International Torch Festival the "Valentine's Day of the East".

The third day of the festival: sending fire. This is the climax of the entire Liangshan Yi International Torch Festival. When night falls on this day, everyone runs around with torches in their hands. Finally, people will be in the hands of the torch together, forming a pile of huge bonfires, happy people will gather around the bonfire to sing, dance, the scene is extremely spectacular. Therefore, it is also known as the "Oriental Carnival Night".